This anthology contains the first and second place poems and short stories for the 2023 SoMLA Young Author Contest Winners at the elementary level.

Young Author Contest 

Grade 5 Short Story By Danielle Broadwater The Legend of Suvi and Blanca 	In the beginning, when all was dark, there was nothing but endless frost. This made Blanca happy. For generations Blanca was lord of all that was cold. Surrounded by his companions, which were snow foxes, polar bears and penguins, he celebrated his kingdom of quiet, frozen solitude. He wasn’t the type of guy who liked change, he liked everything solid as a block of ice.&nbsp; 	As time moved on, ice wasn’t top priority anymore. The awakening of another spirit, one much different than Blanca had arrived. The spirit was Suvi, a goddess who ruled over heat. Powered by the warmth of the sun, she could melt even the coldest of days. Her radiance brought new life and light to the world — tigers, turtles, and horses — creatures Blanca had never dreamed of before. Blanca did not approve of the way his once snowy white planet was changing into a summer paradise.&nbsp;&nbsp; 	One day, Blanca was awakened from his slumber by a beam of sunlight that shimmered on a patch of snow where little green buds were beginning to sprout. Now Suvi thought her warm gesture was a beautiful gift, but to Blanca this was most absurd and a challenge to his kingdom of ice. Immediately, he sent his thanks back.&nbsp; 	Suvi was in her tropical realm of vibrant colors, growing flowers under the warmth of the glistening sun. She lifted the simple pinecone basket, overwhelmed with curiosity about Blanca’s gift. Inside the basket, nested upon a bed of pine needles was a single snowflake. She examined the perfect snowflake in her warm palm, but it did not melt. Confused, she let the snowflake drift into the grass and went on with her day. The next morning, she came outside to find a snowstorm, all her plants wilting and covered in frost, and the lake was frozen as if it was a bone. Frustrated, she worked the whole day to restore what had taken her weeks to form.&nbsp; 	This feud between Suvi and Blanca continued for generations, until one of Suvi’s gifts made Blanca more furious than ever before. His silky white snow fox had a new bright red coat. His polar bear had turned a muddy brown, and his penguin turned a vibrant blue and began chirping like a songbird.&nbsp;

Blanca was so irate that he created something that had never been done before, a blizzard. At first it was pathetic. It was so small it could fit in the palm of his hand, but shortly it grew bigger and bigger. Soon, it was out of his reach, leaving everything it touched covered in layers upon layers of snow. Once again, all was dark and quiet as it had been before. Even the sun was drained of its power. But most importantly, since the heat had gone, so had Suvi.&nbsp; 	This was known as the Ice Age. This was exactly what Blanca wanted all along. He was here first and wanted to keep it the way it had been. Yet on the inside he felt empty — not in his usual quiet soul way, but in a way as if he had missed something along the way. He’d gotten what he’d wanted, shouldn’t he be happy? It had occurred to him that Suvi was always happy. She would play with the animals (and to be fair sometimes his animals would join in too). She would frolic in the grass, using the sun’s heat to grow her enchanting garden. At the time, Blanca had never really cared about it. To be honest, he thought it was absurd. However, now when he looked outside instead of seeing cheery faces and hearing the symphony of musical instruments, he found nothing. The world was quiet, and his heart was quiet. He no longer found excitement in picking which animal shall go hunt his supper.&nbsp; 	One day, he realized the reason he no longer felt joy. He missed the problems he had with Suvi. Sending her thanks for her growing grass in his snow by demolishing her flower bed. So, secretly he ended his blizzard by doing something the world had never done before. He tilted the world. The world was once straight and he tilted it, shaking the sun out of its cold and sloppy state to a new and burning one. As the world thawed, Suvi arose from her hibernation and was happy to return to the world she loved.&nbsp; 	Even ancient spirits can learn how to take turns. The push and pull of their powers give us our four seasons. And to this day Blanca and Suvi still pester each other, but Blanca has never unleashed his full blizzard state again because he knows of the loneliness that comes with it.

Grade 5 Poem By Mia Insari Letter to Corona Hey Corona! Never thought I’d address you.&nbsp; But lately, I have been thinking… thinking of the two years lost, thinking of the loneliness, the sadness, the fear,&nbsp; the pain! Spring, a time of life and joy Became one of confusion. Summer, when vacation plans were to be made and committed to, Forced us into quarantine! Fall, the beginning of another studious year, introduced me to Zoom &amp; screens Winter came with the same melancholy, And it repeated for yet another year. You made us hurt in every way possible. But guess what Corona! You also brought the best out of us. The compassion, the care, the sharing.&nbsp; Some kept tabs on neighbors and friends, Others stayed with patients till the end. We never stopped caring Throughout our imprisonment, and we will continue till we break free.

Grade 4 Poem By Gianna Baines Restoring Friendship All the drama in the world&nbsp; It’s all with the girls It happens It builds and builds and builds&nbsp; Until it comes crashing down Then I cry on the inside But I hide it with a smile I try to make it real But still I feel hurt Then I remember we are Sisters We are a family We always rebuild

Grade 4 Poem By Aria Blizzard Changing Seasons The birds hopped around in the ferns, Waiting as springtime returns. If you think about it, it isn't so bad, But when winter goes, it will be sad. And when the creatures rise from below, The process will be slow. As the ducks swim to the crumbs, That's when you know springtime has begun.

Grade 5 Short Story By: Annabelle Joy Young Best Friends Forever 	Every day, someone meets a friend. They talk, start hanging out, and the next thing you know, best friends forever! I met a few friends once, who I now know as my best friends. This is the story of when I met those people. Erin and Elena. 	It was the first day of 4th grade, and I was nervous. I listened to the clock tick as my teacher talked. Tick tock. Every second it was getting close to the time that I dreaded. Lunchtime. It was a place of horror and loneliness. I looked around at everyone’s happy faces, giggling and enjoying this time of day. Not me. “How are they so happy and calm?” I questioned myself. It didn’t make any sense. It was the first day of school, so why isn’t anyone feeling the way I feel? Why aren’t they worried about what will happen next? No one knew where we were going to sit, where our tables were, or even what we were having for lunch! My pencil snapped in my hand, shards scattering everywhere. The hands on the clock hit 11:45. People crowded around me and headed out the door 	My heart was pounding like a hammer, as my footsteps stomped down the stairs in repeat. Tons of students were heading into the cafeteria, trying to get their lunch as their teachers arranged their seats. I wanted to go home. There was just no point in staying. But it was too late for that. We were in the cafeteria. “Okay everyone!” Ms. Keck yelled. “Here are our tables!” She pointed to three empty cafeteria tables. They were cold and hard, colored gray with bumpy black textures on the sides. There were two benches per table and the seats had no backs. “Quickly choose a seat so that students may soon enjoy their lunch. Remember, whatever seat you choose will be your seat for the rest of the year.” Everyone quickly scooted away and sat down with their friends. I walked with them, unsure of where to sit, so I was mainly trying to blend in with the crowd. I sat down next to 3 girls. Meanwhile, there were still two girls standing at the door, holding their lunches and waiting. I didn’t notice them though because Ms. Keck, my teacher, was staring at me very strangely. I watched as she walked over to me and bent down. “Sorry Annabelle. You can’t sit here. There are two people per bench. Would you like to sit over at the other table?” She quickly pointed to the empty table across from us. My hands started to shake, my heart was pounding like a drum, and I did not want to sit there.&nbsp;

We slowly walked over to the clean, empty table. I sat down and gave my teacher a smile to let her know I was going to be fine here. But as soon as she walked away, I put my head down. There was no point. 	I hear feet scuffling towards me. I bring my head up, and it seems that no one has noticed. I did not fall asleep, but it felt like a dream. No, not a dream. A nightmare. Nothing could ever be more terrifying than having to sit at an empty table for the rest of the school year. Ms. Keck came towards me with two other students. One, I had recognized from second grade. Her name was Erin, and we used to be friends. I was glad that she was here. The other girl, Elena, had long dark brown hair. The girls sat down and started to eat their lunches. They quickly introduced themselves, and almost immediately stopped talking. I already knew Erin, so luckily, I did not have to ask many questions. They were quiet for a few more minutes, but then started asking each other questions. Questions like “What’s your favorite color” and things that you would ask someone you just met. I had already gotten halfway through my lunch before I had decided to pop the big question. “Would you guys like to be friends?”. I questioned myself over and over as I panicked that they would not respond. “Why did you ask them that? We just met; will they say no? They are going to say no, aren’t they?!” I tried to calm myself down and my fingers started to cramp. Luckily, I could tell that Erin was about to say something, so I put a smile back on my face. “Of course! Me and Elena would love to be your friends! Why wouldn’t we?” I was so relieved. 	After all this had happened, me and my new best friends spent as much time together as possible! I consider it a very important turning point in my life.&nbsp;

Young Author's Contest 2023 Elementary level Anthology

Grade 1 Short Story By: Charlie Wright The Girl Who Said No to Everything Abra’s favorite word was no. She said no to everything. She said no to reading, she said no to TV, she said no to playing games- she even said no to dessert! One day Abra saw something that she thought she liked, and so she decided to tell her parents she wanted it. When the moment came, though, the only word that came out was “no.” Abra was feeling defeated. She spent so much time saying no that she had forgotten how to say yes.&nbsp; The next day after school, Abra went to the store that had the item she wanted. Abra stared up at the item, and she thought to herself, I wish I knew how to say yes. Especially on today, my birthday. Abra went home and found a big present with small holes in it on the kitchen table. This was unusual, because her parents stopped giving her presents since she always said no to them, anyway. But there it was. Pink wrapping paper with a huge polka dot bow on top.

Abra opened the gift, and it was the puppy she had seen at the pet store. The puppy licked and licked her face, and Abra smiled brightly. Abra turned to see her parents, and they smiled and said, “We saw you looking at him through the shop window. Do you want him?” The girl paused, trying to think of what to say. Finally, she smiled from ear-to-ear and exclaimed, “YES!”

It has been a pleasure to serve as chairperson of the Young Authors' Contest this year for the State of Maryland Literacy Association. We are proud to present this anthology of poems and short stories, to celebrate our young authors that are the 1st and 2nd place winners. A special thank you to all who supported these talented, young authors; judges, parents, teachers, friends, relatives, and peers. We could not do this without your support and care for this program. Please return next year! In the mean time, HAPPY WRITING!

Grade 3 Short Story By Avery Gemi The 4 Keys&nbsp; 	Once upon a time, there was a temple. It held 4 keys. The Water Key, which gave you power to control the high seas. The Earth Key, which gave you power to control the terrain. The Animal Key, which gave you power to control the minds of wild animals. The last key, most importantly, was the Void Key. It had been said that possessing it will grant you unlimited power, but with consequences. 	Unfortunately, long ago, an asteroid the size of a house crashed into the temple, scattering the keys into unknown places. Thousands of years later, scientists discovered the temple…or what was left of it. The discovery of the temple was on the news that night. There was a little boy watching, a curious little boy indeed. His name was Oliver Brownfield. He was a 9-year-old boy in the fourth grade. He was the smallest in his class. Maybe the smallest in the grade! But the upside of being small meant Oliver had a big brain. He loved to read and watch TV. But when Oliver saw the news that night, Oliver decided something insane. “Today I will find all four keys!’’ 	Oliver packed a few things for his very long journey. He packed a month’s worth of water, ten pounds of rice, and a sleeping bag. But Oliver was missing something. A companion! Oliver called his friend Max Greenwood to help him. Max was taller than Oliver. Max was in Oliver’s homeroom class since kindergarten! The next day the two boys embarked on their long journey to find all four keys. But there was a problem. A big problem. Where were the keys? Oliver and Max went to the library a few blocks away from their houses. Next to the check-in desk, they noticed a hidden door that led to a very old part of the library with ancient books. They found a book that showed the location of three keys. But Oliver and Max were thinking, “Where is the fourth key?’’ No one knew.&nbsp;

The Water Key was located in China. So, they went to the airport and waited for their plane to arrive. When they got to China a day later, they found a temple that looked like the one in the ancient book. Inside, shining like the ocean, was the Water Key! Oliver stepped on the small platform to grab the key. But when he did, it opened a deep hole in a ground and Max and Oliver fell in. But Max came prepared for this type of situation. Max somehow had a grappling hook, and rappelled Max and Oliver onto the ground. “Where did you get the grappling hook?’’ Oliver asked. “My dad! He invents stuff!’’ said Max. “Cool!’’ said Oliver. Oliver and Max walked out of the temple with the Water Key. Oliver felt proud of himself for getting the Water Key, but he also felt homesick. The airport was closed at that time, so Oliver and Max had to find a place to sleep. Luckily, there was a motel a few blocks away. The motel was really nice and even had a pool!&nbsp; The next morning, Oliver had a great idea. He said if him and Max split up, they can get two keys at once, instead of one by one. So that’s what they did. A few days later, Max and Oliver came back with two keys. They had found the Animal Key in Giza, Egypt, and the Earth Key in a Mayan temple in Mexico. They had to find the last key. Max and Oliver knew there can be only one place to get the fourth key. The temple ruins that were on the news. So, they went to the ruins and found the Void Key among the rubble. But something went wrong. There were consequences to owning the Void Key. Max had become possessed! His eyes were blank, and steam was coming out his ears. Then, Oliver heard something, in a loud, booming, demonic voice: “You dare mess with me! I have been waiting for this, for six-hundred thousand years! Now… I shall take over your friend! Unless…you play me in a game of… Rock Paper Scissors.” It was quiet. The calm before the storm. “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!’’, they both yelled. “Paper!’’, screamed possessed Max. “Rock!’’ yelled Oliver. Oliver won! Max was saved! But just one more thing… Would you want the Void Key? Oliver and Max didn’t. They went home to get a lot of well-deserved rest and time with their family.

Grade 1 Short Story by Lyla Solomon

The Mysterious Diary Once there was a mad principal who went to the mall at midnight.&nbsp; The principal found a mysterious diary. She brought it home. The diary was purple with a few white stripes. It had a key tied around the book, with a lock in the middle. The diary belonged to the vice principal.&nbsp; The diary had her secret wishes. She had three wishes. The first wish was for all the students to be kind. Her second wish was for the school to have nice teachers. The third wish was for all the lessons to be fun.&nbsp; The mad principal underlined the most important words; kind, nice, and fun.&nbsp; She didn’t know how to grant the wishes but she realized that they would make her year better. She was excited but also very tired, so she went to bed.&nbsp;

While she was sleeping, the diary sparkled. When the sun came up, the sparkling stopped.&nbsp; The mad principal woke up late and she went to school. The kids were already there.&nbsp; As she walked around to all the classes she remembered the three wishes that she read.&nbsp; She noticed that everyone was being kind, the teachers were nice, and the lessons were fun.&nbsp; She couldn’t believe that the wishes came true! She didn’t know what happened, so she ran&nbsp; to find the vice principal. She told her everything.&nbsp; And from then on, everyone was kind, the teachers were always nice, and the lessons were fun! And the principal was happy!

Grade 4 Short Story By Mustafa Ahmad Autobiography of a Teacup&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hi!&nbsp; My name is T.C. I was made by a lump of clay and my creator’s imagination, but it also involved a lot of pinching, coiling, and slab building. My first memory was seeing a friendly face full of pride after being taken out of a hot Kiln. After I cooled down, I was painted delicately by wrinkled hands and then left to dry. I have a nice picture of a big tree with golden leaves. Then, I was brought to a shop called Fine China. I spent a month in this shop with other cup-lings. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some people looked at me and looked away at a plate or a bowl. Soon though, I was bought by an elegant lady who loved my design and texture. I was placed in a dark box full of bubble wrap and sealed tight.&nbsp; It felt like I was there for hours! When I FINALLY came out of there, I was immediately put on a high shelf. I felt lonely and useless.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then, a catastrophe struck. You see, 2 kids appeared in this house, and they started running around. I considered it a miracle that I didn’t fall off the high shelf, but my luck ran out soon. While they were playing tag they whooshed by so fast, I wobbled a bit, and the next thing I knew I was on the floor, Chipped, and with a broken handle. The owner decided I was no longer of any use- as if I was before! I was about to be thrown away when a kind voice said she would like to have me. I did not feel like my best self at that moment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The hands that held me were rough and cold, but I was held close to the heart, a good sign I would be cared for well. I was put on a shelf again, but there were many cup-lings with me. It almost felt like I was in a herd of cups for they varied from big to small, wide, and narrow, and deep and shallow. Later, funny, ticklish stuff called glue was put on me. Then right on top of the glue, my handle and the chipped part were put on. I expected them to fall off and maybe even break into smaller pieces! But it did not! It stuck together and never came off again. However, I would still have a little crack. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At night, I was picked up gently by small cuddly hands and filled with warm hot chocolate. Then, I joined the boy under his blanket and read my first book Black Beauty. I felt whole again.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;I was always invited to a game of chess filled with tea. At first, I was not sure what all those pieces were, but gradually over time, I learned all the pieces' names, how they moved, their values, and mine.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Often, they played a game where they had to try to shoot a scrunched piece of paper into something. First, it was aimed at a large can. Then, put it into a paper bag.&nbsp; Finally, the target became smaller and smaller until it turned into Me! Only one shot made it in, and I was thankfully not hurt. And even though I was perhaps misused, I had a lot of fun. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On Thanksgiving, it was a tradition for this family to sit in a circle and pass around a cup.&nbsp; When they hold the cup, they say one thing they are thankful for. I was deeply touched when the cuddly hands said, “I am thankful for this cup because, without it, we might not have had this tradition still going on.”&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sometimes I felt warm salty water on me when cuddly hands were sad or lonely. I was held tightly, and I heard sobs and hiccups. I liked all kinds of drinks in me but this.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One day, I was taken out with a few other cups and taken out to an open field. There was a fire and marshmallows over it. The smell, sight, and feelings were beautiful. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The list of my experiences could go on forever, but I could not imagine a life without cuddly hands.&nbsp; I read some fine books with him, watched some nerve-racking games of chess, and gazed at stars, meteor showers, and sunsets. I have lived here for a year now and have seen, heard, and felt quite many feelings. I keep enjoying new books, chuckling to the sound of giggling, and talking to my friends. So, I think I am well off. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So, this autobiography must end but before you go, here is something to think about: Next time you see a teacup, think about the long journey it might have taken.&nbsp;

Grade 3 Short Story by Audrey Tong-Holcomb BUNNY BUSINESS

It was a beautiful spring day and Eve and her friend Kelsie were on a spring picnic. Kelsie was still finishing up her sandwich, and Eve had already gobbled down her food. 	“Look!” Kelsie exclaimed, while pointing to a white bunny that was hopping around. “I wonder where it is going?” Eve asked curiously. Kelsie agreed with Eve that they should see where the white little cute bunny was going. 	They followed the bunny to a tree. They could both tell they were wondering the same thing, and that was WHERE ON EARTH IS THIS BUNNY GOING! 	“Hello? Is anyone there?” The bunny asked, while knocking on the tree trunk. Eve and Kelsie were so shocked that they could almost faint. 	“You, uh, just talked!” Eve said quietly and politely, but Kelsie knew that she was surprised. The bunny slowly turned around. 	“Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you. My name is May, what's yours?” the bunny said shyly. Eve and Kelsie told their names. 	“Follow me,” May said nervously. They followed her into the tree trunk. When they got down, their jaws dropped. It was a whole office with bunnies! May introduced Eve and Kelsie to her boss. Her boss was disappointed. 	“Why were you late, May?” her boss asked. May started to stammer. Eve and Kelsie saw that she did not want to get in trouble with her boss, so Kelsie explained. 	“Me and Eve were having a picnic, and then I saw May hopping around. We wanted to know where she was going, so we followed her to a tree. She heard us and then said to follow her,” Kelsie explained. 	“I see, well you can go back to your picnic and I can go back to my 24/7 work,” her boss said. 	“Ok, hope we can see each other again-wait,you work on the weekends? How do you have fun then?” Eve asked, confused. 	“Uhh…what does that word mean exactly?” May and her boss asked, at the same time. Kelsie gasped. They could not believe that they did not know the word fun!

“Fun means you are doing something you enjoy and you're having a good time,” Kelsie said. They made a promise that they would show the bunnies how to have fun. They first needed to brainstorm. 	“Bowling alley? No. Park? No. Wait, I know! The trampoline park!” Kelsie said. 	In the evening, they met up with the busy business bunnies. 	“Now, you're not allowed to work, have fun bouncing around!” Kelsie exclaimed. At first they groaned, but then they decided to try out the trampolines. Soon, every business bunny was transformed into a fun bunny! The whole trampoline park was filled with giggles and laughter. May thanked them for teaching them how to have fun. 	“I hope we meet again soon!” Kelsie said. 	They were heading back to Eve's house, and her mother asked what happened on their picnic. 	“Oh you know, nothing so interesting,” they both chuckled. After that funny bunny business, Eve and Kelsie were animal lovers.&nbsp; They went to Eve’s room, only to find out…that the room was a jungle. There were flamingos, parrots, and crocodiles. 	“What are you doing here?” Eve and Kelsie asked at the same time while they stared at the animals. 	A flamingo said, “Oh!&nbsp; We saw the article in the Bunny Business Times about how the two of you taught all of the bunnies to have fun!&nbsp; We want to learn how to have fun too!” 	And this is how Eve and Kelsie began the Business for Finding Fun (BFF).&nbsp; They traveled to every country to find animals helplessly looking for fun.&nbsp; One week they would help a bored koala learn how to sing karaoke in Australia and the next week they would help a monkey in Asia have fun by teaching him to bake a cake.&nbsp; When animals couldn’t find anything entertaining at home, they would reach out to the BFF and the BFF would come right to them and help them find the fun!

Smile and Arise When things don’t go your way You don’t have to frown through the day Don’t worry because everything is going to be okay Hold your hopes tight It’s a new day after every night Let the light of hope make you shine bright Believe in yourself Be your own superhero Have courage and your problems will go to zero. By Rehan T Syed Grade 2

Friends Don’t Need to be the Same. We don’t need to be the same to be friends. We don’t need to look the same to fit in. You have red hair, I have green, look at us, we look like twins. I’m your friend, you are mine, but we don’t even have the same color eyes. You have glasses I do not, but our moms have the same jobs. You have a small house. I have one that’s big, but our favorite animal is a pig! Some people think friends must like the same things but that would be boring. Thank you for being my friend, you're welcome for being mine, but before we see each other, we both need to do the same chores! By Claire Blake grade 2

Grade 3 Poem By: Anna Baker The Dancing Leaf The leaf, it falls as the tree rattles. The leaf, it dances like a ballerina. It spins and tums and spins and tums again. It skips across the stones of air. It never stops until it reaches the ground. It sparkles like 1,000 sapphires. I love its rainbow colors

Grade 3 Poem By Olive Garibay Shades of Art Art shows my face Stroke by stroke, Colored space, My imagination spoke. Dark and light Side by side, Shade the light, Black and white. Soothing strokes makes it fun, Start a spark, Leave my mark. Express yourself Impress yourself No right or wrong, It comes from the heart It’s a work of art.

The Kite It is a windy day. We should go out and play. Take your brother, or your friend, Hope the fun will never end! Fly your kite until night. What a sight, a pretty kite! The wind is whooshing in the sky, See the kite fly and fly! Feel the breezy, wind today. So let’s get out and play. Hooray! By: Blake Burley First grade

Love is Joy Love is Joy Joy is harmony Harmony is peace Peace is nice Nice is happy Happy is kind Kind is helpful Helpful is fun Fun is grateful Grateful is awesome Awesome is funny Funny is great Great is excellent Excellent is epic Epic is amazing Amazing is grand&nbsp; Grand is wonderful Wonderful is love By: Samantha Doris&nbsp; First grade

Grade 2 Short Story by William Soutar The Big Bass One summer morning, Jacob Williams and his dad, Nolan, were at the lake.&nbsp; Jacob was determined to catch the big bass said to be hiding in the lake.&nbsp; He had been fishing there all summer long but had only caught Blue Gills and Sunfish.&nbsp; Worst of all, all the fish he caught were juveniles.&nbsp; (Which are not very big.)&nbsp; Jacob had only reeled in sticks, and any fish on the line swam away at the last second. One day, Jacob felt lucky for some reason.&nbsp; He didn’t know how or why.&nbsp; He decided to go to the pond, just then, Jacob felt a big tug on his line.&nbsp; He pulled back and started to reel at full speed.&nbsp; Jacob grunted and groaned as he yanked at his rod.&nbsp; He was going to catch the big bass!&nbsp; Snap!&nbsp; Jacob felt so stupid for reeling in a Snapping Turtle.&nbsp; He had trained so hard, all to reel in a Snapper.&nbsp; Jacob walked home with a feeling of shame inside him.&nbsp; He had never felt so disappointed in all his life.&nbsp; But his dad said go to some fishing stores and get bait.&nbsp; So, he did it and it worked out and then he realized he had no money.&nbsp; And it was all Nolan’s fault, so he didn’t go back to the store again. So, he went to the pond again and fished and again he caught a Blue Gill.&nbsp; Suddenly, Jacob felt a big tug, he pulled back on the line.&nbsp;

The line snapped, but Jacob kept pulling the line with his bare hands.&nbsp; The fish finally got pulled to shore.&nbsp; Jacob couldn’t believe his eyes; he caught the Big Bass!&nbsp; He told his friends and family.&nbsp; The next morning, he was on the news!&nbsp; The next day at school, Jacob told everyone the whole story.&nbsp; Sometimes you shouldn’t listen to others when they tell you to give up, the only way to achieve your goal is to keep trying! The end&nbsp;

Grade 2 Short Story by Cole Parsons The Angry Wind It was one breezy, chilly, clear day in the countryside, and a little goofy leaf was falling asleep in his tree.&nbsp;&nbsp; Oh hi, my name is Leef.&nbsp; Yeah, I know it’s a funny name for a leaf, but I am a leaf!&nbsp; Today I am going to glide down to the ground like a glider.&nbsp; I am feeling scared, but brave. I shivered fast.&nbsp; Suddenly, a big gust of wind blew.&nbsp; All of the other leaves around me started to fall.&nbsp; “The leaves are falling!&nbsp; Uh-oh, something is going to happen!” said Leef.&nbsp; “I’ve got to go!&nbsp; Ahhhhh!” CRACK!

“Wha-what was that?”&nbsp; Suddenly, my stem cracked.&nbsp; “Whoa!” I said.&nbsp; I glided like a real super hero as the wind rocked me back and forth in its cradle, all the way to the ground.&nbsp; “Oof,” I said.&nbsp; Now I was really crumbly and brown. I had fallen in a big, red blanket on the ground.&nbsp; It was warm and cozy.&nbsp; My eyes glowed like diamonds.&nbsp; Then, I saw my family and gave them a big hug.&nbsp; My mom, dad, and two little sisters were there!&nbsp; I was finally happy to be back with my family.

Grade 4 Short Story By Jefferson Bounds The Allergy Viking 	Boom! The other team kicks the soccer ball. Yes, I got it! I dribble the ball up to the goal, I shoot, I score! Then I look over, “Man, those flowers look pretty cool,” but suddenly a big gust of wind comes. My lungs feel weird. At that second, all I know is that I’m falling into the grass, and I can’t feel it. I see my teammates coming over to stand around me. “Nolan!” my mom calls out from the side lines. “Are you alright?”&nbsp; My mom runs out from the sidelines and comes to help. “Mom is that you?” I asked. “I feel horrible. It feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest.” Then I finally woke up.&nbsp; 	At least, I think I did. I was standing in a green ship, a Viking ship. I knew it was a Viking ship because it had a sea monster head on the front of it, and a bunch of oars coming out of the sides.&nbsp; One more thing, there were shields all along the side of the ship. I was wearing Viking clothes and I had a sword in my hand. But it wasn’t like the other swords. It was like a needle. But I didn’t have time to change it because suddenly there was another ship in sight. BOOM! A cannon was fired from the other ship. BOOM! Another! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! They were attacking us! Well, I guess I was supposed to fight now, so I grabbed a rope and my needle sword and there I was, flying over the water. CRASH! I fell straight through the other boat’s deck and into the bottom of their boat! Maybe this was a good thing, I thought, because maybe I could sneak up on them. First, I looked around. There were flowers all over the ship! They were green, yellow, pink, purple, and violet, just like the flowers by my soccer field! But no time to admire them, time to fight!

When I got up the stairs, I looked up at the ship’s flag and saw the letters ALRG. What does that mean? What does it stand for? Well, I have to get to fighting now! I sneak up on what looks to be a flower. It seems weird to fight a flower, but they did fire on our ship, so, I poked it with the needle sword. Then, smack! It fell straight down. One down, three to go!&nbsp; The next flower is looking at our ship from the top of the mast. So, I climbed up. Poke! I did it again and this time it was a big splat! The flower fell all the way down into the water. The next flower looked like a daffodil, again, just like the ones by the soccer field! I think this one was the captain because it was in the captain’s chair and looking at a bunch of maps. I crawled under the desk and poked its leg. Or was it the stem? The last flower was harder to poke because it had thorns and was deadly poisonous! It was sitting on a barrel. “I wonder,” it said, in a Swedish voice, “where’s all the noise? I swear, yesterday, this place was rockin’! Hip-hop, country, everything!” I was creeping up on it when… creak! Oh NO. It saw me! It stood up. I stood up too. “What you doin’ on my ship, boy?” I responded, “I’m fighting flowers and of course I’m going to win against you! What weapon do you have?” It said, “I have POLLEN and YOU have allergies!!!” Suddenly my throat started to swell up again! Luckily, I had enough strength to still poke him and then BOOM, I actually woke up this time.&nbsp; 	I was in a white room, in a bed, with a bunch of beeping things all around me. I heard the doctor tell my mom that I had an allergic reaction to the flowers by the soccer field and a thing called an Epi-Pen had saved my life. Then the doctor showed me the needle that I had in the battle against the flowers! Man, what a crazy dream.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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